Spain returned home as world champions.
Lamine Yamal made sure the celebration became a football exhibition too.
Spain thrashed Croatia 4-1 at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán in Seville, making it two wins from two in the UEFA Nations League and extending one of the most extraordinary unbeaten runs in modern international football.
Yamal scored after only 70 seconds.
Croatia responded through Dion Beljo.
Marc Pubill immediately restored Spain’s lead.
Yamal then scored again after the break before Nico Williams completed the victory late on.
Two goals.
One assist.
Another devastating international performance from Yamal.
But this was not simply one teenager carrying Spain.
Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated territory, possession and chance creation while demonstrating exactly why they now hold both European and world champion status.
Croatia briefly threatened to disrupt the celebration.
Spain simply accelerated again.
Spain vs Croatia: Match Snapshot
| Match Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Final Score | Spain 4-1 Croatia |
| Competition | UEFA Nations League – League A, Group 3 |
| Date | September 29, 2026 |
| Venue | Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, Seville |
| Spain Scorers | Lamine Yamal 2’, 63’; Marc Pubill 31’; Nico Williams 88’ |
| Croatia Scorer | Dion Beljo 28’ |
| Sofascore Player of the Match | Lamine Yamal – 9.9 |
| Possession | Spain 64% – 36% Croatia |
| Shots | Spain 16 – 5 Croatia |
| Shots on Target | Spain 7 – 2 Croatia |
| Expected Goals | Spain 1.77 – 0.44 Croatia |
| Big Chances | Spain 4 – 1 Croatia |
| Touches in Opposition Box | Spain 38 – 12 Croatia |
| Key Tactical Theme | Spain overwhelmed Croatia through positional control, wide overloads and relentless pressure |
The numbers reflected exactly what the eye saw.
Spain completed 568 accurate passes compared with Croatia’s 296, produced 58 final-third entries to 34 and consistently forced Slaven Bilić’s side into defensive situations.
This was not a fortunate four-goal night.
It was territorial domination.
Yamal Needed Only 70 Seconds
Spain’s supporters had barely settled.
Croatia had barely touched the ball.
Then Lamine Yamal scored.
Fermín López helped create the opening with intelligent movement before Yamal received possession and finished beyond Dominik Livaković.
Spain 1-0 Croatia.
Official Spanish federation statistics recorded the goal after only 70 seconds.
That made it even quicker than his goal against England at Wembley, where he had scored after 104 seconds.
Spain noted that no player had previously scored inside the opening two minutes in consecutive national-team matches.
That is the type of record Yamal seems to produce almost accidentally.
He is no longer surprising people simply because he is young.
He is surprising people because he keeps making extraordinary football look routine.
Spain’s World Cup Celebration Quickly Became Another Statement
The occasion already carried emotional significance before kick-off.
This was Spain’s first home match since winning the 2026 World Cup.
Jesús Navas presented the World Cup trophy to captain Rodri before kick-off.
The Sánchez-Pizjuán celebrated a team returning home with a second world star on its shirt.
It could easily have become a ceremonial evening.
Instead, Spain treated it like serious competition.
That distinction matters.
Great teams enjoy success.
Dominant teams immediately begin chasing the next one.
De la Fuente’s players pressed high from the opening minutes and repeatedly attacked Croatia’s penalty area.
Fermín.
Álex Baena.
Yamal.
Mikel Oyarzabal.
Different players occupied different lines, but the objective remained identical.
Move Croatia backwards.
Croatia Refused to Disappear
For all Spain’s early superiority, Croatia showed why this group remains dangerous.
Ivan Perišić found space on the flank.
His cross reached Dion Beljo.
The striker attacked the delivery and headed beyond Unai Simón.
1-1 after 28 minutes.
Beljo was making only his third senior international appearance.
He had just scored his first Croatia goal.
For a brief moment, the match was reset.
Croatia had survived Spain’s opening wave.
They had equalised.
The homecoming party became quieter.
Spain’s response told us more about them than the opening goal had.
Spain Needed Three Minutes to Respond
Croatia’s equaliser did not create panic.
It created another attack.
Spain won a set-piece.
Yamal delivered.
Marc Pubill attacked the ball and headed past Livaković.
Spain 2-1 Croatia.
Only three minutes had passed since Beljo equalised.
Pubill had scored his first senior international goal.
Yamal had his assist.
Spain had their control back.
That sequence was perhaps the clearest demonstration of Spain’s mentality.
Croatia produced the type of moment that can destabilise a team.
Spain barely reacted emotionally.
They simply returned to their football.
Yamal Was Controlling More Than the Scoreboard
His first-half influence went far beyond one goal and one assist.
Croatia struggled to decide how aggressively they should defend him.
Stand too far away and Yamal could carry the ball inward.
Commit a defender and he could release a teammate.
Double-team him and Spain gained numerical advantages elsewhere.
This is the structural problem Yamal creates.
He does not need to beat three defenders every attack.
Sometimes simply forcing three defenders to think about him creates the opening somewhere else.
Spain understand how to exploit that.
Sofascore recorded him with 60 touches, seven progressive carries and more than 137 metres of ball progression through carries.
He was not waiting for Spain to bring the game to him.
He was moving Spain forward himself.
Spain Could Have Finished the Match Before Half-Time
The 2-1 scoreline actually flattered Croatia by the interval.
Fermín López struck the post.
Oyarzabal put the ball into the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside.
Spain continued circulating possession around Croatia’s defensive block.
The visitors defended aggressively.
They tackled.
They intercepted.
They competed.
But most of those defensive actions were happening because Spain kept forcing them backwards.
That is an important distinction.
A team can record plenty of tackles and still have very little control.
Croatia were defending Spain.
Spain were controlling Croatia.
De la Fuente Changed the Midfield — Spain Became Better
One of the strongest aspects of Spain’s performance came from the bench.
After 57 minutes, De la Fuente introduced Pedri and Mikel Merino.
Within six minutes, Spain scored again.
Pedri received between the lines.
The passing angle opened.
Yamal recognised it immediately.
The Barcelona midfielder found his Barcelona teammate.
Yamal attacked the penalty area and finished low at the near post.
3-1 after 63 minutes.
Match effectively decided.
The goal demonstrated the depth available to De la Fuente.
Spain were already winning.
Then Pedri came off the bench.
Later Rodri entered too.
Very few international teams can introduce that level of midfield quality after an hour.
Yamal’s Finishing Has Become a Different Problem
There was once a reasonable debate about Yamal’s game.
Could the creativity eventually be matched by elite-level scoring?
That question is becoming increasingly outdated.
Both shots he took against Croatia were on target.
Both became goals.
Sofascore gave him a 9.9 rating.
His final line:
Two goals.
One assist.
Two key passes.
Two shots on target.
Two goals.
This is what makes his development so frightening for opponents.
The dribbling was already there.
The vision was already there.
The passing was already there.
Now the finishing is becoming more efficient.
A creator becoming a consistent scorer is often the moment an elite talent becomes something even bigger.
Croatia Could Not Build Enough Attacks
Croatia’s greatest problem was not simply defending Yamal.
It was getting the ball away from Spain for long enough to create sustained attacks themselves.
They finished with only five shots.
Spain attempted 16.
Croatia generated just 0.44 xG.
Spain produced 1.77.
Touches inside the penalty area finished 38-12.
Those numbers illustrate the territorial gap.
Beljo’s goal was well constructed.
Croatia simply could not recreate that type of attacking sequence frequently enough.
Whenever possession changed, Spain’s counter-press activated.
Croatia were often forced backwards before they could move forward.
Luka Modrić Could Not Change the Match
Luka Modrić entered after 81 minutes.
Even at 41, his technical quality remains obvious.
He completed 11 of 12 passes and managed a shot on target.
But by then, Croatia needed more than midfield control.
They needed goals.
Spain were already protecting spaces intelligently.
Rodri had entered.
Pedri was on the pitch.
Merino provided additional physical presence.
Croatia’s legendary midfielder could help move the ball.
Spain gave him nowhere decisive to move it.
Nico Williams Finishes the Celebration
Then came the final goal.
Mikel Merino progressed possession.
Nico Williams received inside the area.
One defender approached.
Williams twisted away.
Created the shooting angle.
Powerful finish.
4-1.
The official report recorded it in the 88th minute.
Another substitute had directly influenced the scoreline.
Again, Spain’s depth became part of the story.
Pedri had assisted Yamal.
Merino created the fourth.
Williams finished it.
Spain’s bench was not protecting a victory.
It was making the victory larger.
Spain’s 40-Match Unbeaten Run Is Becoming Extraordinary
The win extended Spain’s unbeaten sequence to 40 matches.
Forty.
That is no longer just form.
It is an era.
Spain won Euro 2024.
Then won the 2026 World Cup.
They opened the Nations League by winning 3-2 against England at Wembley.
Three days later, they dismantled Croatia 4-1 in Seville.
Different opponents.
Different types of matches.
Same outcome.
This is why Spain currently deserve to be treated as international football’s benchmark.
They can dominate possession.
They can counter-attack.
They can recover after conceding.
They can win tight games.
They can overwhelm opponents.
Most importantly, they increasingly look comfortable doing all of it.
Six Points From Two Matches
Spain now have the perfect start to Nations League Group A3.
Two matches.
Two victories.
Six points.
First England away.
Then Croatia at home.
That is not an easy opening schedule.
Spain have made it look manageable.
Their next assignment is against Czechia.
The larger objective will obviously be returning to the Nations League knockout rounds.
But with this Spain side, expectations naturally extend further.
The team that won the competition in 2023 has since added another European Championship and another World Cup.
Every tournament now begins with Spain among the teams everyone else must solve.
At the moment, nobody has.
De la Fuente Has Created Competition Everywhere
One of the strongest signs of Spain’s health is how difficult it is to identify an unquestioned XI.
Pubill scored.
Pedri started on the bench.
Rodri started on the bench.
Nico Williams started on the bench and scored.
Merino came on and influenced the fourth.
Even established international players know their place is not guaranteed.
That creates internal competition without destroying the structure.
Spain do not appear dependent on one fixed lineup.
They are dependent on principles.
Control the ball.
Occupy the correct spaces.
Press immediately after losing possession.
Attack when the opportunity appears.
That is far more sustainable.
Football Today Media Verdict
Spain 4-1 Croatia looked like a celebration.
It played like a warning.
Spain returned home as world champions and produced another performance worthy of that title.
They controlled possession.
Controlled territory.
Controlled chance creation.
And whenever Croatia threatened to change the game, Spain responded almost immediately.
Beljo equalised.
Three minutes later, Pubill restored the lead.
Croatia attempted to stay competitive after half-time.
Pedri entered.
Yamal scored again.
Then Nico Williams finished the night.
The numbers were convincing:
64% possession.
16 shots to five.
Seven shots on target to two.
1.77 xG to 0.44.
Four big chances to one.
And at the centre of everything stood Lamine Yamal.
Two goals.
One assist.
A 9.9 Sofascore rating.
Another performance that would feel unbelievable if he had not already made this level of football look normal.
Spain are now unbeaten in 40 consecutive matches.
They have won their opening two Nations League games.
They are European champions.
They are world champions.
And somehow, they may still be improving.
That is the most uncomfortable part for everyone else.
Spain’s greatest player on the night is still only 19.
Their midfield depth is almost absurd.
Their tactical identity is settled.
Their confidence is enormous.
Croatia briefly made it 1-1.
For three minutes, Spain looked vulnerable.
Then the world champions reminded everyone exactly who they are.
Croatia equalised.
Spain responded.
Yamal took over.
And another night ended with international football’s best team looking even stronger.
Sources
RFEF — Lamine Yamal Shines as Spain Dazzle at the Champions’ Celebration
Official Spanish federation match report confirming all five goals, Yamal’s early opener, Pubill’s first international goal, Spain’s 40-match unbeaten run, and the World Cup homecoming celebration.
UEFA — Nations League Matchday 2 Round-Up
Official UEFA coverage confirms Spain’s 4-1 victory, Yamal’s brace, Puill’s goal, and Nico Williams’ late finish.
Reuters — Lamine Nets Double as Spain Win Again
Independent reporting on Spain extending their unbeaten run to 40 matches and maintaining their perfect Nations League start.
Sofascore — Spain 4-1 Croatia: Yamal’s 9.9 Rating
Detailed match statistics covering possession, xG, shots, final-third entries, box touches, and Yamal’s two-goal, one-assist performance.
ESPN — Spain 4-1 Croatia Match Analysis
Independent match recap and analysis of Spain’s Nations League victory in Seville.
